A Sinn Fein figure in Belfast is under investigation for allegedly forcing a sister of IRA murder victim Robert McCartney to close down a mobile cervical cancer screening unit she was operating in the area where her brother was killed.

The incident happened last Monday when Gemma McCartney, a specially trained screening nurse, was confronted by the Sinn Fein figure in the Markets area. The man is a close associate of the local IRA boss who ordered Robert McCartney's murder in January 2005.

Gemma, a community nurse with 18 years experience, was one of two health professionals operating the mobile screening unit launched by the Health Board in Belfast earlier this year, the first of its kind in Ireland.

She said: "Myself and my colleague went to the Markets on Monday with the bus to provide the community with this service. We'd carried out several procedures and provided information -- it's a very valuable resource for women in areas like the Markets.

"This man was there earlier in the day, I avoided eye contact with him. One of the girls in the area must have recognised me and spread the word.

"He returned in the afternoon and said something like women in the area could not trust a member of staff. He spat at my side. He was quite aggressive and intimidating.

"We had a list of women to see but we had no option but to leave. We took the bus back to the depot. This is fascism.

"Later that night it kind of hit me. I was shaking and crying. We are dedicated health professionals and no one has the right to deprive women of this service."

It was the first time the staff of the cervical screening service had ever experienced intimidation before. Gemma and her colleague provide the same service in both loyalist and republican areas.

Gemma said she reported the incident immediately to the Health Board and later to the PSNI who are now carrying out an investigation.

The man responsible was seen in Magenniss's bar in the Markets along with 50 or 60 other Sinn Fein and IRA figures on the night Robert McCartney was murdered.

Although a close associate of the local IRA boss who ordered the murder, he was not present when Robert was stabbed outside the bar.

Following the murder, and the campaign by the sisters to raise the issue, the family -- including Robert's partner, Brigeen and her two children -- were forced to leave the Markets and adjoining Short Strand due to intimidation.

He is only biding his time intimidating women until he can pick up a ministerial post at Stormont.

You have to feel sorry for the McCartney family. After all the promises from politicians they received not only are the Provo scum who murdered him still walking the streets but PSF were welcomed back into government at the same time they were intimidating witnesses and chasing the McCartney family out of the Short Strand for having dared to go public.

Sadly it's probably only a matter of time until something similar happens to the Quinn family in South Armagh and again there will be no penalty for PSF.